Appropriate Technology (AT)

Defining appropriate technology (at) is difficult; it means many things to many people, and what may be understood as appropriate to one community may not be consistent with another. In [Page 60]broad terms, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) describes AT as a technology that is simple to apply, is not capital- or energyintensive, uses local resources and labor, and protects environmental resources and human health. Practical Action, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), suggests that AT takes advantage of local resources, uses and employs recyclable materials, is affordable, and generates local employment in its application.

AT emerged as a movement during the 1960s in the context of economic theory that argued that Western models of development were unsustainable, environmentally degrading and would not provide benefit to ...